


Rumor Has It

by Chrystie, kate882



Series: Disney's Hercules AU [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Hades and Persephone AU, M/M, prequel but can be stand alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 03:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19123354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: “So I did get a visit from your father,” Jason said casually several visits from Dick later.Dick decidedly, did not look happy about this news. “And?”“And I told him he’d have to die before I’d let him past my gates just to bitch at me,” Jason answered, rolling his eyes.





	Rumor Has It

Jason occasionally wandered up to earth to watch the humans forming their little civilizations and living their pathetically short lives before coming to his domain. 

He was generally left alone while doing this. The other gods didn’t much care for his company and the feeling was mutual.

So he was a little surprised when Dick, flowers blooming in his wake, walked into the clearing Jason was standing in that overlooked a small village. They hadn’t met before, and Dick was honestly a little breathtaking just like he’d heard, but that didn’t make Jason less wary of being approached by another one of the gods.

“I have to say, it’s surprising to finally meet you. I’ve heard you don’t really like to leave the underworld.”

“Your lot and the halfling spawn you keep producing make it a little tiresome to leave at times,” Jason answered coolly, pulling his eyes away from the other god and looking back at the village. “That and every time Slade has fun on earth my job becomes more busy,” he added. The war god might actually be one of the only gods less popular than him among their kind.

“I wouldn’t group myself in with all the others. I know I’ve definitely never tried to sleep with a human. But I suppose I can understand why you’re so busy. Humans are pretty fragile.”

“They die so easily,” Jason muttered, watching as one climbed up a rickety ladder to patch up his roof. “One little fall, a simple illness, living too long, and I’ll have another resident.” He finally turned back to Dick. “What do you want?”

“Just to meet you. The others that have met you only ever say that you’re angry but you unarguably have the hardest job among all of us, so maybe they’re just not seeing any of the good sides.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up in surprise that the others would even acknowledge that much. Jason knew it was true, but he strongly doubted at times that they did. “And I’m sure your father is aware and approves of this meeting?” Jason asked, already certain of the answer.

“I don’t need my father’s approval for what I do and especially who I talk to,” there was a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“Ah, so this is rebellion,” Jason said passively.

“No, rebellion was when I decided I preferred to be down here than up there. This is simple curiosity. Besides, I imagine you haven’t talked to anyone not dead in a while now.”

“You say that like the dead can’t be interesting.”

“Are any of them interesting? I imagine they would just complain more than an average living human.”

“Not all of them. But I’ll admit I spend more time with my employees than with dead mortals when I’m looking for conversation.”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to make new friends. I hear I’m a great conversationalist.”

“And who told you that,” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Wally. Who better to trust than someone who essentially baby sits all the ‘halfling spawn’ as you called them,” Dick chuckled.

“The hero trainer? Hmm, don’t know that he’s a ringing endorsement. He hates me. Like it’s my fault his little halflings keep ending up in the underworld.”  

“It’s just a lot on his conscience. He’s a good guy if you get to know him. But no matter, just because I am friends with him, doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with you too.”

“I thought you were just curious about me. Now you’re trying to be friends?”

“I had a dual goal.” Dick didn’t sound the littlest bit guilty misleading him.

“...why?”

“Why not?” Dick held his hand out and a flower bloomed out of his palm, “everyone needs someone they consider a friend once in a while, not just workers.” He held the flower up to Jason.

Jason hesitated a moment but took the flower. “I’m afraid I can’t offer you anything I think you’d particularly like with my powers,” he said, lips quirking up slightly.

“Oh I’m not so sure about that, I hear you have many talents. Maybe for now though, you could just offer me a bit of your time?”

“I suppose I have enough of that,” Jason decided.

“I hear the underworld is nothing like Olympus or Earth, and I admit I’m a little curious about it.”

“Are you asking to see the underworld? Most people try to avoid that. Something about not wanting to die.”

“Dying is normal and natural. Well for non Gods, but I see no point in seeing it in such a negative light. Besides, I’ve heard many rumors about the underworld, just as I have about you.”

Jason let out a small laugh. “Those cowards won’t come past the gate when they want to find me, I can’t imagine what rumors they’ve made up.”

“Which is why I’d like to get to know the real you, rather than listen to baseless rumours.”

“Can’t be nearly as interesting as the rumors,” Jason mused, but waved his hand opening up a dark portal anway, holding out his hand to Dick.

“I think I’ll decide that for myself,” Dick smiled, taking his hand.

They stepped through together to the front gates, guarded by Cerberus, the three headed dog wagging its large tail at the sight of Jason returning.

Without a hint of self preservation, Dick approached Cerberus with a giant grin, “He’s such a cute puppy,” and started to scratch the enormous dog wherever he could reach.

“He uh,” Jason stared with wide eyes as his typically fearsome guard dog rolled onto its back so Dick could rub its belly. “He’s not really a puppy.”

“Oh, but he’s just as loveable as one. What’s his name?”

“Cerberus,” Jason answered, still trying to comprehend the sight before him.

“Well Cerberus, you’re just the sweetest dog, aren't you?” Dick only stopped petting the monster dog because all three heads were fighting to lick and cover him in slobber.

“I’m begging you to tell your dad how this meeting with my guard dog went. I think Cerberus is one of the few beings on earth that frightens him.”

“Aw, who could be afraid of this big sweetie.”

“Nearly everyone who comes for a visit.”

“Well that can’t be right. I love your dog, Jason.” He got another full bodied lick from Cerberus which only caused him to laugh.

“I can tell. It’s not the norm.”

“If the rest of the underworld is like this then I can’t wait.” Dick struggled to detach himself from Cerberus to rejoin Jason, but managed to do it only coming out of it covered in more slobber.

“There aren’t any other giant three headed dogs, if that’s what you mean,” Jason answered, leading him through the gate, where they could see souls lining up to find out where they would be going.

Dick glanced around, taking in the crying souls and the dark atmosphere. “I guess I can see how the other gods can find this all a little depressing, but well, not every place can have a golden cloud aesthetic.”

Jason glanced at him. “They don’t make it this far. They won’t come past the dog,” he said, continuing to walk, ignoring the souls begging him to help them. “Don’t listen to them. If they have to beg for better placement before they’re even placed they certainly don’t deserve the help,” he added when a few tried to turn their cries to Dick. 

“I see,” Dick did his best to ignore them, but Jason could see they were affecting him on some level.

“C’mon, we can go inside. No spirits there,” Jason put a hand on his shoulder to guide him to walk faster as they passed the waiting area and a large house came into view.

“Is this where you live?”

“Yes. Be careful what you touch,” he advised.

“Why, will things hurt me?” He could see Dick eying his garden, which made sense, he was the god of spring and those were plants he definitely had never seen before. Although Jason wasn’t sure he’d call the garden particularly good. It probably would be to regular people or gods, but growing things was kind of Dick’s whole thing. 

“Well… the things that could harm you are generally behind glass because they’d harm me too. But certain things can make it much harder for you to leave here. Which isn’t typically a problem since people who live above don’t really come here. Don’t go through closed doors or eat the food and you should probably be fine.”

“Well that sounds a bit ridiculous, food is meant to be eaten.”

“And you could absolutely eat it. It should all be edible, good even, but the reason I’m advising you not to is because it traps you here. For every bite you take you’re stuck in the underworld that number of months every human year. So twelve or more and it’s permanent.”

“Interesting,” Dick mused, “definitely more interesting than above with only enchanted artifacts and weapons.”

“It certainly makes it easier to keep our patrons when a demigod gets a quest in the underworld,” Jason shrugged.

“Yes I’ve heard you don’t make things easy for them,”

“If their quest from the gods was so important the gods would muster up the courage to come face me themselves, not send some little halfling, fueled by bravery that comes from not living particularly long anyway, to do their dirty work. Besides, if it were easy it wouldn’t be a quest. It would be an errand.”

“You don’t have a very good opinion of the other gods, very different to how it is on earth where humans will revere the gods no matter what they’ve done.”

“Yes well, mortality gives short memory. When the humans refer to the bad the gods have done they are telling stories. They also hope to gain something by revering the gods, because they themselves do not have powers.”

“They have short lives; they can only ask the gods for help if they want any chance of having that short life be easy for them, but still, I see your point.”

“I don’t actually dislike the humans or the halflings,” Jason told him as they walked inside a vast entryway. “The other gods, yes, but the humans are mostly either just living their short lives or being used by the gods.”

“I’m glad you think so, because living near them, it’s hard not to sympathize with them.”

“It would be rather unfair if the god of the underworld had it out for all of the beings that come to stay here after their time,” Jason said with a small amused smile.

“You don’t maliciously wait and laugh for each soul to flow in?” Dick laughed. “I don’t know what the other gods mean about you being gloomy and a grump. I like you.”

“Well it helps that I don’t find you unbearable like them.”

“And how lucky am I for that,” Dick smiled.

Jason guided them to his kitchen where he looked for a vase for the flower that Dick had gifted him. “I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use.”

“Well it’s definitely the word I am sticking with, and I meant it. You’re the most interesting of all the gods I’ve met; it would’ve been a shame to not get the chance to know you.”

Jason could feel his face heat up and turned to continue to look for somewhere to put the flower so Dick wouldn’t see. “I just meant you probably won’t feel lucky when you get interrogated at home.”

“I don’t really care what the other gods think, it’s not my problem if they have an issue with this.”

“They might make it your problem. They have a tendency to make their problems other people’s.”

“Then I will deal with it when it becomes an issue.” Jason hadn’t noticed that Dick had gotten any closer until he was directly behind him, reaching for something just out of Jason’s peripheral vision. “I’m capable of deciding for myself who I prefer to spend time with,” he said as he handed Jason a tall cup.

“Yes, you don’t really seem the type to take orders well,” Jason said after a moment's pause to make sure his face was composed before turning to face Dick, their faces inches apart. 

“Whatever could you mean?” Dick grinned at him.

“It’s just a hunch,” Jason answered, returning the grin.

“Maybe I just think taking orders keeps me from having an open mind,” Dick said as his hand slipped into Jason’s.

“You’d be correct in thinking that. I also just think you like to just do what you want which is why you don’t take orders.”

“You might be right about that.” And to prove his point, Dick leaned just the slightest bit closer until their noses bumped.

“Not to sound like an order, but are you going to kiss me or are we just going to keep up the back and forth?”

Dick huffed out a small laugh but finally kisses him, pulling his closer with an arm around his waist.

* * *

“Now how am I supposed to have a fearsome guard dog if you keep reducing him to the being as terrifying as a mortal puppy?” Jason asked, leaning against the gates to the underworld and observing Dick petting his dog once again.

“What are you talking about, look at all those scary heads,” Dick cooed as he just scratched one of said heads until its tongue lolled out of its mouth.

“You’re going to single handedly ruin my reputation,” Jason sighed. “Well come on then, you came all the way down here, might as well come inside.”

Dick received another full bodied lick from Cerberus before he finally left to follow Jason. “I wouldn’t be too worried about that. You were right, the others don’t approve, least of all my father.”

“Ah yes, I was just about to ask how that went over. I’ve gotten a few presumably strongly worded letters that I’ve thrown in the Styx.”

“Oh you know, he told me you’re dangerous, I told him I don’t see it and don’t care, he told me not to come back, I told him he couldn’t stop me if he tried. I’d say it went pretty well,” Dick shrugged, reaching to lace his fingers with Jason’s.

“He’s probably going to actually show up here at some point if you keep visiting.”

“Thought you said your fluffy guard is one of the few things he’s afraid of.”

“Yes, but I’m not sure if that will hold when he thinks I’m defiling his son.”

“I’m being defiled now, am I? If that’s the case then most of the other gods are absolutely disgusting,” Dick snickered.

“Oh they certainly are. Has Hal yet met a creature he won’t stick his dick into?” Jason smirked at him as they approached his home once again.

“I don’t think I can answer that,” he laughed. “Defiled or not, though, you don’t have to worry about my father. A few more arguments with him should at very least just get him to realize I’m staying as stubborn as him about this.”

“Right. That’s why I’m worried about him showing up here to try and argue it with me instead.” 

“And I’ll be here to stop him from trying. Not that I don’t think you could handle him, but I feel like you’ll both come out of that doing something you’ll regret.”

“I’m not sure I’d regret it, but we’ll wait and see.”

“Well enough about my father, I’m here to spend time with you.”

* * *

“So I did get a visit from your father,” Jason said casually several visits from Dick later.

Dick decidedly, did not look happy about this news. “And?”

“And I told him he’d have to die before I’d let him past my gates just to bitch at me,” Jason answered, rolling his eyes.

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Dick pecked Jason’s cheek. “I’ll still probably have to go talk to him again though.”

“Immortality does make the possibility of avoiding conversations forever much harder.”

“Being related to Bruce makes the possibility of avoiding conversations impossible. It doesn’t matter, he’ll have to accept that we’re together eventually.”

“I have a hard time imagining he will, but I’m willing to keep kicking him out of the underworld as long as I need to.”

* * *

Jason had essentially given Dick a free welcome into the underworld and into his home not too long after their relationship started. It wasn’t like his guard dog was very effective against him anyway. But every time Dick visited, Jason would still usually have to drag him away from Cerberus. This time, however, Dick just stormed into his home, fuming.

“I’m staying here indefinitely,” he announced.

“Um,” Jason said eloquently, clearly caught off guard. “I think, uh, I think there might be some logistical problems with that.”

“Like what?” Dick snapped.

“Well you’re the god of spring for starters,” he held up his hands placating. “Not sure how things are going to start blooming on earth without you.”

“They don’t need me for things to grow. Humans are capable of planting and harvesting. I just make it a little easier for them; they’ll be fine.”

Jason wasn’t so sure about that, but he also wasn’t really selfless enough to push for Dick to leave. “Okay. Do you want to at least tell me why you’re moving in?”

“Had a fight with Bruce and I don’t plan on forgiving him.”

On the one hand… Jason hated the gods and so Dick abandoning them to be with him was great. On the other hand he wasn’t sure how great it was for Dick’s emotional wellbeing. But they could give it some time and see how things played out. A few years or centuries were usually enough for grudges over simple arguments to be resolved. “Wanna talk about it or…?”

That apparently opened the floodgates. “He insisted you’re dangerous! And of course, because he’s Bruce, he won’t listen to anything I say! How can he know if you’re dangerous if he hasn’t bothered to try and talk to you for centuries!”

Jason frowned a bit. While Dick was clearly trying to defend his honor or something along those lines the assertion that he  _ wasn’t  _ dangerous implied an underestimation of Jason that he needed to be sure to rectify so that Dick understood what he was getting into.  “Probably because I’m the god of the underworld. And because I’ve taken enough of his and the other gods halfling children. And because I’ve attempted to take them down before. I’m not a danger to you, because I care about you. But he knows I’m dangerous because that’s the reason he doesn’t try to talk to me often.”

That didn’t really do anything to abate Dick’s anger. “Oh, don’t give me that face. You’re a god, we’re all gods, we’re all varying levels of dangerous in our own right, even Hal when he wants to be. I know you’re powerful, as powerful as Bruce and Clark even. Being a danger to me personally should have been implied.”  

“Okay, okay,” Jason decided maybe now wasn’t the time to poke at that after all. “Point taken. I already told you before you’re welcome here when you want, so of course you can stay.”

Dick took a deep breath in and sat himself down on the closest chair. “Thank you. I don’t mean to take my anger out on you, but I don’t like being told that I can’t see you again, and Bruce should’ve known I wasn’t going to do it.”

“Well he’d have a hell of a time getting to you here, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Thank you,” he repeated, “I really just need some time away from him.”

* * *

Jason was sitting outside in his garden, flipping through reports with a slight frown on his face when he heard Dick coming up behind him and quickly dismissed the reports with a wave of his hand so Dick wouldn’t see.

“What’s up?” Because hiding things from Dick was just about as easy as reasoning with mortal souls.

“Nothing nothing, just an influx of weird deaths,” he said casually. He didn’t need Dick going and blaming himself before Jason could figure out what to do about it.

“Weird how? It’s been a couple centuries; I’d imagine you’ve seen almost everything.”

“Oh gods no, humans are always finding new ways to kill each other. But that’s usually a one off and this isn’t something they’re doing to each other.” Jason frowned, but answered anyway. He wasn’t going to directly lie to Dick after all. “It’s cold mostly. But the cold is also killing their crops, so they’re starving in huge numbers. And getting sick, which I think is also related.”

“That-“ Dick’s brows scrunched, “You don’t think that has anything with me not being there, do you?”

He did think that. He hadn’t proved it yet, but he definitely thought it. He just didn’t really want to say that to Dick. “I’m still looking into it.”

“Is there a way to see what’s happening up there from here?”

“That’s… not really my area. The fates could show us, but I’m planning to go up there to see what’s going on anyway, and they’re a bit of a hassle to deal with.”

Dick bit his lip, looking like he was considering his options. “Do you think I could come with you? For just a minute shouldn’t be too much for Bruce to notice.”

“You can do whatever you want, Dick. But you’d know better than me if he’ll notice.”

Dick was clearly debating how much he cared for the humans versus how little he wanted Bruce to be able to talk to him. “I’ll go,” he eventually decided, “a short trip shouldn’t be that noticeable.”

Jason nodded and created a portal. “Shall we then?”

Dick grabbed Jason’s hand, “Yeah.”

They stepped forward and Jason grimaced as his feet were submerged in cold wet mush that also appeared to be falling from the sky. “Gross,” he muttered, brushing some of the “snow” as people had started calling it, off of his shoulders. It very quickly melted from around Dick’s feet though and flowers immediately bloomed in place.

“What is this? This never happened when I spent time on Olympus.”

“Winter, apparently. Snow to be more specific. Snow and ice,” Jason said, starting to walk towards the village.

Dick didn’t seem to be taking the snow too well. “Jay, everything’s dead.”

“Not everything,” Jason said, but he knew that wasn’t particularly helpful. He put a hand on Dick’s shoulder to try and comfort him before continuing. “My guess: this is partly Bruce’s reaction to losing you, but also you’re needed here. You’re the god of spring, when everything is blooming and new life is formed. It can’t do that if you’re locking yourself away with the dead. Just like the underworld couldn’t function properly if I lived on Olympus.”

“But would all of this have happened this fast or this badly if there wasn’t some divine intervention?”

“Probably not. But I can’t say for sure from only a few minutes of looking around.”

Dick just kept staring at the freezing, starving humans. “I have to come back.”

Jason knew it was true. The earth needed Dick, and Dick wouldn’t just abandon it. Nor did Jason even want him to. He loved Dick because of how much he cared after all, plus he’d never know peace if humans kept dying at this rate.

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to realize he was about to lose having Dick around all the time. He’d gotten quite used to Dick’s presence in their home. And there was a good chance Bruce wouldn’t let Dick come back at all after all of this.

He tried to keep all of that off of his face though. He didn’t need to make it harder for Dick. “It seems like the best bet for fixing this.”

Dick didn’t seem to take that all too well either. “I hope that’s you being strong for the both of us, because I don’t know what I’m going to do if it just means you’re not going to miss me.”

Jason’s eyes went wide and he quickly pulled Dick into his arms. “I’m clearly not good at this. I’m trying not to make it worse, and I guess I’m failing at that. Of course I’ll miss you. I love you. And because I love you I know that you can’t just abandon the humans to this, which means I have to let you go.”

Dick buried his face into Jason’s neck. “I hate this. I love you, and I hate this.”

“We’ll figure it out. You’ll still be able to visit. You did that before without all of this happening,” Jason said, stroking Dick’s hair comfortingly.

“It wouldn’t be the same,” Dick sighed.

“I know,” Jason murmured. “But it might be our best option.”

Dick could only sigh again before leaning up to kiss him.

* * *

They headed back to the underworld just for Dick to grab the few possessions he had and for him to say goodbye to Cerberus. Jason caught him just staring at various spots in his home where they spent most of their time together. He was lingering and stalling and Jason couldn’t really blame him. He’d been silent since they headed back so it was a little shocking when his lips pulled down in anger.

“You know what? No. Bruce isn’t just going to win this easily.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

Dick stormed out of the house, grabbing Jason’s arm as he passed him, and dragged him over to the garden.

“Where are we- wait wait, Dick, that’s a bad idea,” he said, eyes widening as he realized what was going on.

“Is it? Because all I see is a solution.”

“You would be permanently trapping yourself. There’s no take backs, no matter what,” Jason tried to explain as they reached the garden and Dick grabbed one of the pomegranates growing in it.

“Not forever. A month per bite, right?” Dick split it open and pulled out a few seeds, “Besides, I’ll always be happy to be trapped here.” And he popped them in his mouth.

“A month per bite every year, Dick,” Jason reiterated, grabbing his arm to stop him from eating any more.

“I know. A month with you per bite every year.”

“Every year for eternity. Even if you stop wanting to see me. You’re going to be here for six months every year now.”

“I’m not going to stop wanting to see you. I’m going to want to see you from the minute I leave.” Dick dropped the fruit to step into Jason’s space and pull him into his arms.

Jason wasn’t so sure. Forever was a long time for someone to not change their mind about him. But the damage was done, he couldn’t undo it even if he wanted to. So, he hugged Dick back and hoped he really wouldn’t ever regret what he’d just done.

* * *

It was a few centuries before Jason caught wind of the rumors going around about them. “They think I kidnapped you? You’re the one that approached me! And kept coming here. And the one that ate the fruit,” he protested.

“Is that what happened?” Dick sounded too amused by this. “Are you sure you didn’t swoop in and pluck me away from my flowers to have your dirty way with me?”

“I’m sure because that would be kidnapping and creepy!”

“That’s definitely what the rumors are trying to imply,” Dick snickered.

“They think I tricked you into eating the pomegranate. Good gods who started this, Bruce?”

“That’s not really his style. It sounds more like something Hal would do. Like he offhandedly mentions a theory to Barry and soon everyone’s heard it.”

“I can’t believe you inserted yourself into my home and I’m the kidnapper somehow,” Jason muttered. “It’s just a rumor though. It’ll probably go away soon.”


End file.
